Traction member for crawler tractors



Patented May 20, 1924.l

UfNiTED STATESI PATENT oFFlcE.

WILLIAM P. ALLEN,-DECEASED, LATE OIE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; BY MARY ALLEN, EX"-` ,i

EC'UTRIX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 HAZEL M. MERRILL, OF CHICAGO,

, ILLINOIS. g

TRACTION MEMBER rola CRAWLER TRAcToRs.

Application led March 20, 1920. Serial No. 367,407.

To all whom t may cof/wem: j Be it known that I, MARY F. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, with residence at Chicago, in the county of Cook and. State of Illinois, am the executrix of the last will and testament of William P. Allen, deceased, late resident of Chicago,Illinois, who had invented certain new` and useful Improvements in Traction Members for Crawler Tractors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. f

This invention relates to details of construction of a flexible 'traction member for that type of tractor which employs an endless belt, driven in direct contact with the roads surface. This application is a continuation in part of myPatent No.'1,340,.'514,``

dated May 18, 1920, and isv especially concerned with three aspectsy kof the traction element; viz., economy of initial vmanufacture and assembly of the parts, economy and ease of replacement of worn parts, avoiding unnecessary renewal of other portions, and convenience in converting the tractor from a road vehicle to a hauling engine adapted to travel over soft ground as' in pulling ploughs, cultivators and the like.. The in-f vention consists in the elements and 'fea-` tures of construction and their combination contributing to these ends as hereinafter described and shown in the drawingsA and as indicated by the claims.4

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of a traction member embodying this inven tion as applied toa tractor of the type shown in my patent above referred to. j Figure 2 is a detailed plan view, partly in section, showing ,the constructionk of the pivotal connection between the links of the traction member.

Figure 3 isa det-ail section, take'nas` indicated at line 3 3 on Figure'2.

vFigure 4is a detail section, taken as indicated at line 4-.4 on Figure 2.y f l F igure'5 ris al detail section, taken as indicated at line 5--5 on, Figure 2.`

Fi'g'ure 6 vis a detail section, at line 6-.6 onFigure4. f Figure 7 isa detail vsection showing locking means for thetraction rib, being ,taken as indicated at line on Figure 2. j

Figure Sis a detail sectionyof the replace? with rolling-bearing members shown as balls, D, interposed betweenthe bearing fiange, C1, of the track, andthe bearing surfaces of the respective links, A, of the traction member. This track and its further relation to the carrying wheel, B, is more completely described in my patent above referred to, and neednot be further considered here. i j n Each of the links, A, 'isgcomposed of a bodycasting, 1, suitably designed with reinforcing ribs and ianges 2, so that its weight shall not be excessive. "Each body member, 1, is formed at each end witha pair of lugs, which are designed to receive the pivots by which adjacent linksareconnected together. As shown, the lugs, 3, at

one end of the member are slightlyofset from the lateral flanges, 2, so that there may be width between them to receive the lugs, 4, of the,V adjacent end of the next link` member. Each lug, 3, has anv aperture, 5,

y able bearing strip, being takenas indicated which is rendered non-circular by having a notch, 5a, to vreceive a small key, 6, on the bushing, G, designed to` occupy the aperture, 5, and serve as a bearing forthe pivot, 7. This pivot, 7 is carried non-rotatively in the lug, 4, of the next link, being formed with a slightly tapering shank, 3, which mayl be circular, but provided with a projecting key portion, 8, whichvwill vfit a notch, 4, in the lug, 4, to prevent 'rotation of the pivot, 7, therein. A `flange, 9, on the outer end of the pivot, 7, overlaps the bushing, 6, and also the lug, 3, thus preventing the bushing from coming out ofitsL place in the l lug, so long as the pivot, 7, remains. in

position.

' Thefpivot, Y, is held in place, in the lug, 4, by means of an ordinary carriage bolt, 10, extending axially through the pivot, 7 A removable flange member, l1, is inter- "riage jbitjinsertea' therein, 'the boit is heid against; "rotation,` v'vhile its nut, kr1`4,`is ap-` plied to the outer end,`outsidel the Harige, 9, of the pivot,I and preferably With awash- ,er, l5, interposed.

Besides serving to hold the pivot,7, the

lug 4,"of the link body" is also Adesigned to engage on e 'of the notches, B1, in the `vvheel, B, topermit'the traction chain to be driven by said Wheel, B, but preferably instead of having the l ug,4c, directly' engage the Wheel, B, it. is'iitted with a Wearing member, in y the form of a cap, 1 6, which is slipped over 4the lug,4`, just under the flange'member, 11, land is retained Jthereby as clearly indicated in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 5 and 9, itis necessary to notch the cap, 16, at 16a, to make room forthetransverse rib, 2, for'medin the body casting of the link member and, incidentally, this preventsv rotation of 'the `cap,`

16, upon its supporting lug, 4.

To v recnve theload transmitted to the links through the bearing balls, B, each link body is fitted with abearing strip, 17, Which may beremovably carried in a Achannel,"formed as shown in Figures 2 and. 8, between the centrally disposed stitiening ribs, 2, of the link body. This permits using a better grade of material for the bearing strip, 17, than icr the vbody casting, 1, and also insures ease of replacement oi. said stripsv When they become too much Worn for further use.

VFor ytraveling over comparatively soft ground, the tractive efficiency of the traction memberis greatly increased by the use of traction shoes, 18, formed with longitudinally sloping bearing surfaces, 181, and intermediately "disposed transverse traction ribs, vor blades, 19, Whose function is more completely explained in my- Patent No.

1,063,493,L dated `June l3, 1913; but, for

traveling upon a hard road, it is'preferable that the traction member present a fairly flat surface `to the road bed and thesetraction shoes', 18, are ltherefore made removable. Each shoe is formed at opposite ends With oppositely facing grooves or hook-shaped portions, 20, which are transversely slidable upon flanges, 21, of. thebody member, 1, of each link.` Thus, While the method of connection ofthe tractiony shoe .to the link body insures a perfectly iirm engagement in the direction of t'rac'tiv'e'effort, it'permits the tached at 23, to permit swinging it into or out of engagement With the notch, 20a, for locking the shoe on tthe link body or allowing it to be removed therefrom, as the case mayrequire. The` lugs, 24, formedon the slioe, 18,'for supporting the pivot, 23, may also be apertured to receive a locking pin, 25, which Kmay be simply a vnail or a piece of Wire inserted in position to hold the locking dog, 22,/in lengagement With the notch, 20', then, for. unlocking the traction sho'e, 18,"' the tirst step will be to knock out the pin, 25, Which may be done with an ordinary hammeror similar tool, even if the pin is slightly bent to retain it against accidental dislodginent.

1 claim: l

1. A tractor belt, composed. of aseries of pivotallyconnected links, the ends ofadjacent links being formed to interlap and having'non-circular openings in their interlapping portions, a. bushing formed to fit'the opening in onelink and a pivot having a circular portion to fit insaid bushing, and a non-circular yportion to lit -in the opening o the other'link, together'with means for retaining said pivot against Withdrawal from said opening, the pivot having a. portion laterally overlapping the bushing, to retain said bushing in lits place jacent linksbeing formed tointerlap and having non-circular openings in'their interlapping portions, a bushing formed to iit'the opening in one link, a pivot having a circular portion to fit said bushing, with a flange on one side of said circular portion, and a non-circular part on the other side,fformed to fit the opening of the other link and means retainingsaid pivot against lWithdrawal from saidy opening, whereby its flange serves to hold the bushing in place.

3. A tractor belt, Acomposed of va series of pivotally connected links, the ends iof adjacent links being formed to interlap, one

having a non-circular aperture, the other having a lnon-circular recess, a bushing formed to iit the said aperture of one link, a vpivot having acircular portion to fitsaid bushing and aV non-circular portion tolit said recess of the -other link, said other link being aperturedv through from said recess, said pivot extending through said aperture, a cap and abolt extending axially through the pivot and throughthe cap,sa'id cap having non-circular features engaging corresponding features of the pivot'and the shank of the bolt respectively to hold said bolt against rotation in the pivot, while its nut is applied.

d. In a crawler tractor a sprocket wheel and a chain therefor, the links of said chain being formed with bosses adapted for driving enga-gement with the sprocket wheel and a wear-receiving member for each of said bosses in the form of a cap whose annular portion is adapted to encircle the boss in position for immediate contact with the sprocket wheel and means for removably securing said cap to the boss, comprising a bolt passing through the head of the cap and into the boss, whereby the cap is readily removable upon removal of thebolt.

5. In a tractor belt composed of a series of links connected end to end by means of laterally-spaced end portions on one link and an interlapped end portion of the next link extending between said laterally spaced parts, and removable pivot members fitted into the interlapped link ends and pivotally engaging said laterally spaced parts of the next link, said interlapping link ends having inwardly projecting bosses to engage the notches of a sprocket Wheel, and a wear cap for each of said bosses together with a bolt extending axially through the wear cap and' pivot member for removably holding said parts in assembled relation.

6. A tractor belt composed of sections, each including a member, constituting a permanent part of the belt, and a traction blade disengageably applied to such member and adapted for removal therefrom by lateral movement substantially in its own plane,ono

of said members having an abutment and a movable key on the other member adapted to engage said abutment to lock the blade in place. together with a second key positioned to hold the irst key in locking position.

7. A traction member comprising a series of traction blades extending transversely of the direction of travel at the road-engaging portion of the member for transmitting the tractive eiiort; a tongue-and-groove connection arranged to prevent displacement of the blade either vertically or in the direction of tractive stress with respect to the traction member, but adapted to permit removal of the blade by horizontal sliding movement transverse to the direction of travel, the tongue and the walls of the groove having notches which register when the blade member is properly positioned, and a locking dog pivoted to each blade member :for swinging into engagement with the registered notches.

8. A tractor belt composed of sections, each including a member constituting a permanent part of the belt, and a traction blade disengageably applied to such member; a tongue-andgroove connection arranged to prevent displacement of the blade either vertically or in the direction of tractive stress with respect to the traction member, but adapted to permit removal of the blade by horizontal sliding movement transverse to the direction of travel, the tongue and thewalls of the groove having notches which register when the blade member is properly positioned, and a locking dog pivoted to each blade member for swinging into engagement with the notch of the traction belt, together with removable means for holding the locking dog in such engagement.

9. In a crawler tractor comprising an endless traction belt composed of pivotally connected links and means for supporting and guiding such belt at opposite ends of its run; a track extending between said supporting means with load-transmittin bearing members interposed between sai 'track and the links thereunder, each of said links having a groove medially formed in its upper surface, and a wear-receiving strip of uniform cross section removably secured in such groove.

In testimony whereof, Iliave hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day of March, 1920.

' MARY F. ALLEN, Eecutrz of William P. Allen, deceased. 

